1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for providing information connecting Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) devices, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for providing information for connecting UPnP devices using Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi).
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a home network refers to an Internet Protocol (IP)-based private network that connects various home appliances, such as all types of Personal Computers (PCs), intelligent products, and wireless devices, through a common virtual computing environment called middleware.
More specifically, middleware interconnects various digital devices in a peer-to-peer manner, thereby enabling communication between the devices. For example, Home AV Interoperability (HAVI), UPnP, Java Intelligent Network Infrastructure (Jini), Home Wide Web (HWW) are some of the currently available middleware.
In a computing environment implemented using UPnP middleware, each device is allocated an address from a server pursuant to a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) or is allocated an address that is selected by an Automatic IP designation function (Auto IP), and performs communication with other devices and search or inquiry on a network through the allocated address.
A UPnP network, which is one of the most widely used home network technologies, defines a UPnP device and a UPnP service, and also defines a protocol between the UPnP device and the UPnP service. Such a UPnP network includes a Controlled Device (CD) that is a home network device connected to and controlled by an IP-based home network, and a Control Point (CP) that is a device for controlling the CD. Accordingly, the CP is a constituent element for requesting an event from the CD and receiving the requested event. The CD performs a given function at the request of the CP, and is an constituent element for sending an event to the CP, which has requested the event, when its state is changed.
Operation processes that are performed between devices in a conventional UPnP network include an advertisement process, a discovery process, a description process, a control process, and an eventing process.
In the advertisement process, a new CD is connected to a home network and advertises its existence to other CDs on the home network.
In the discovery process, a new CP is connected to a home network and searches for CDs operating on the home network.
In the description process, a CP recognizes the function of a newly added CD in more detail by parsing a service description eXtensible Markup Language (XML) or device description XML file using the IP address of the CD acquired in the discovery process, in order to control the CD.
In the control process, when a CP is to provide a specific service through a CD, the CP sends an action request for the given service to the corresponding CD by using a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) according to a UPnP device architecture, and receives a result/variable value in response to the action request.
The eventing process checks the information change state of a CD that has provided a given service by a control command sent from a CP.
The aforementioned UPnP technology can be easily and readily set and used by connecting devices to a fixed network environment.
The UPnP specification defines a method for discovery and message invoke between devices, starting from when a network connection between the devices is completed. Accordingly, once a network configuration is completed, it is possible to conveniently use the UPnP technology according to a menu provided by each vendor.
In recent years, the UPnP function has been implemented in mobile devices and/or a wireless network function has been supported by electronic appliances. Consequently, pairing between devices in a Wi-Fi network environment must be performed. Accordingly, many groups are actively researching operations for facilitating the pairing between devices.
In conventional UPnP, a user searches for a wireless access point (or an ad-hoc device) to which a UPnP device to be used is connected, and identifies the Service Set ID (SSID) information of the searched device. Thereafter, the user performs neighbor network discovery and subscription to a network configuration through the acquired SSID in a terminal supporting wireless connection, searches for relevant UPnP devices within the network in a UPnP CP, and then registers and uses devices found during the search.
However, a conventional Wi-Fi connection has been focused on simplifying and intuiting the process of identifying SSID information and then performing neighbor network discovery and subscription to a network configuration through the acquired SSID in a terminal supporting wireless connection. This results in methods in which Wi-Fi connections and user applications are separately considered. Such methods may be applied for general purposes, but do not significantly boost user convenience that a user actually feels in using the UPnP service because the user still must perform UPnP device search and registration again, after Wi-Fi connection.
Further, if a user fails to locate a desired UPnP device, due to a connection to a false AP, then the user must repeat a process of identifying the SSID of an AP, making a connection to the identified AP, and then performing UPnP device search. Accordingly, it is often very difficult for a beginner to use the UPnP service.
A method for providing UPnP device information included in Wi-Fi SSID information also exists, but there is a limitation on a data size that can be expressed.
Further, because an SSID is changes occasionally, there is a problem in that a user has to update a pre-stored connection profile information each time the SSID changes.